Washing machines



F. R. SIBBALD WASHING MACHINES 2. Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 27, 1955April 29, 1958 F. R. SIBBALD {2,832,207

WASHING MACHINES Filed April 27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n l Q m. Mimi?United States Patent WASHING MACHINES Frederick Roy Sibbald, Greenford,England, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application April 27, 1955, Serial No. 504,158Claims priority, application Great Britain May 7, 1954 1 Claim. (Cl.68-22) This invention relates to Washing machines of the type intendedto be used with a power-driven wringer or ironer, and is concerned withthe drive to the wringer or ironer,

According to the invention a washing machine includes a container forwashing liquid having a washing impeller in it, and a driving motormounted under the container and connected to drive the impeller, and ischaracterised by a flexible drive, connected to the motor through afreewheel or unidirectional clutch, and terminating, adjacent the top ofthe container, in a vertical shaft connected to a power-driven wringeror ironer, or an upwardly facing power take-off for driving such awringer or ironer, and means for reversing the motor at will.

The use of a flexible drive enables the coupling or driving shaft forthe wringer to be brought close to the corner of the casing.

Preferably the impeller is also driven through a freewheel orunidirectional clutch arranged so that rotation of the motor in onedirection drives the impeller and not the wringer or ironer, whilstrotation in the other direction drives the wringer or ironer and not theimpeller.

In one form of the invention the lower end of the flexible drive carriesa shaft with its axis horizontally driven by a belt and pulleys from themotor.

The arrangement described provides an extremely simple form of drive fora power-driven wringer since the control is eifected solely by areversing switch which may be situated in any convenient position, andmay incorporate an ofi position for stopping the motor. No gears areinvolved and no clutches except the freewheel devices which require nomanual operating means.

Accordingly it is preferred that to maintain simplicity the wringershould be driven in one direction only. This a does not necessarilyinvolve any sacrifice of usefulness if the wringer is mounted so as tobe capable of turning about a vertical axis, so as to enable clothes tobe fed to it direct from the container or to be delivered from itdirectly towards the container.

Thus accordingto a further aspect of the invention, a washing machineincluding a container for washing liquid of approximately square planform is provided with a wringer pivoted about a vertical axis adjacent acorner of the container, and has at least two operative positions ineach of which it extends generally parallel to one side of thecontainer, means being provided for driving the wringer in one directiononly, so that in one position clothes can be fed to it direct from thecontainer whilst in the other position clothes can be delivered from itdidirectly towards the container.

The invention may be carried into practice in a number of ways but onespecific embodiment will now be described by way of example withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a general view of a washing machine incorporating thepresent invention,

Figure 2 is a detailed elevation partly in section of the the motor andpulley assembly of the washing machine,

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic end elevation of part of one of the clutchesof the motor assembly in its free position,

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view similar to Figure 3 with the clutch inthe engaged position, and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of the machine showing the twopositions of the wringer.

In the embodiment to be described the washing machine comprises acontainer 10 for washing liquid of approximately square plan formmounted in an outer casing 11 and having in a side wall of it adisc-like impeller 12 driven by an electric motor 13 situated underneaththe container. A pulley 14 on the impeller shaft is connected by a belt15 to a pulley 16 mounted freely on the motor shaft. The latter pulleyis arranged to be coupled to the shaft by means of a unidirectionalinertia-operated clutch indicated generally at 17. t

This clutch may be of any desired form, but conveniently is constructedas shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. Thus, a driving member 18 is rigidlysecured to the shaft 19 of the motor 13 by means of a grubscrew 20. The

driving member 18 has a flange 21 carrying a coupling member 22 which ispivoted to the flange 18 by a rivet 23, so. that it can swing about anaxis parallel to the motor axis. As shown in Figures 3 and 4,. thecoupling Referring now to Figure 2 it will be seen that the pulley i 16which carries the belt drive to the impeller of the washing machine isnot keyed to the shaft of the motor and accordingly it is free to rotateon it. It is retained on the shaft by an end collar 24. Keyed to thesideof the pulley adjacent the motor is a clutch plate 25. As

shown in Figures 3 and 4,the plate 25 has six equally spaced peripheralprojections 26 and the outer ends of these projections are turned atright angles towards the motorand parallel to its axis to aiford clutchdogs 27. Itwill be seen from Figures 3 and 4 that these clutch dogs arenot tangential to the plate but are inclined to such a tangent. Thus,when the motor is started up in a clockwise direction, as viewed inFigures 3 and 4, the acceleration is considerable and the centrifugalforce acting on the coupling member 22 is negligible so that its inertiatends to swing it anticlockwise about its pivot 23 and one end 28 of itis swung out between two adjacent dogs to engage one of the dogs at itstrailing end 32 i. e. that nearest the axis of the motor. The other end29 of the coupling member 22 engages the shaft of the motor which actsas a stop for it. Accordingly the clutch is engaged and the motor drivesthe pulley through it.

It will be appreciated that the driving torque exerted by the clutchplate on the coupling member 22 is in such a direction as to prevent thelatter from returning to its free position, and accordingly the clutchremains engaged so long as the driving torque is maintained. In orderthat the clutch is only engaged if the motor is started in a clockwisedirection as viewed in Figures 3 and 4, a stop 30 is provided on thedriving member 18 thus preventing the coupling member from movingclockwise as viewed in Figure 3 beyond its free position. Hence, if thedriving member 18 is started up in an anti-clockwise direction, thecoupling member will merely press against its stop 30. In order to keepthe coupling member pressed against its stop, it may be desirable toarrange Patented Apr. 29, 1958 3' its centre of gravity slightly to theright (as viewed in Figure 3) of the line joining the axes of the shaft19 and the pivot 23.

If the clutch stops in the engaged position, and the motor is thenstarted up in the're verse direction the coupling member 22 will bedisengaged from the trailing end 32 of the dog. As soon as the end 28 ofthe con pling member 22 leaves the trailing end its arcuate ontersurface meets the internal side of the adjacent dog and it isimmediately turned to its free position as shown in Figure 3.

At its other end the motor shaft also carries a free pulley 34 which canbe coupled to the shaft by a similar unidirectional inertia clntchgenerally indicated at "3 5. The two clutches 17 and 35 are arranged toengage in opposite directions of rotation of the motor shaft." As isshown in Figure 1 the second pulley 34 is connected by a belt 36 to apulley 37 mounted to rotate on a shaft 38 connected to the end of aflexible drive 39. The drive extends horizontally under the containerand thence curves upwardly in a corner of the casing to terminate levelwith the top of the container adjacent a corner of it. In the embodimentshown in Figure 1 the flexible drive terminates in an upwardly facingpower takeofi .40 to which a detachable wringer 31 is connected. It will.be appreciated that if a permanently attached power-driven wringer isemployed, the flexible drive terminates in a vertical driving shaftconnected to drive the wringer.

As is shown in Figure 1, at a convenient position in the casing 11, areversing and off switch 41 is-provided which is connected in thecircuit of the motor 13 so that the rnotor can be switched 01? or run ineither direction of rotation. Thus, when the motor 13 runs in onedirection the clutch 17 will be engaged to drive the impeller 12 forwashing, whilst the (other clutch 35 will be disengagedso that thewringer will remain stationary. By reversing the direction of the motorthe impeller can bebrpught to a standstill and the wringer operated.

As is shown in Figure 1, a cooling fan 42 for the motor as situatedbetween the clutch :17 and the motor. This fan iskeyed to the motorshaft and carries an outwardly directed annular flange 43 parallel tothe axis of the motor shaft. As is shown in Figure 1, this flange 43affords a friction wheel engaging a cQ-operating friction wheel 44 onthe shaft of an emptying pump 45 for emptying the container. As elaimedin assignees Patent No. 2, 3 th litl o the emptying P m .45 y

incorporate a hose having a storage position in which its end is blockedby a stationary bung so as to prevent emptying of the container exceptwhen desired. :In .an alternative arrangement, the emptying pumpmay-serve as a counter-shaft to which the end of the flexible drive is atac ed a t be d i en y the sam e d pulleys whenever the wringer isbeingdriven. In these i um an mpel e w l be st nary "while the containeris being emptied.

I th r an em n d ibed t e wri e pe a in nedi n nly fo the kg ,Q simp ian to give added versatility it is mounted on its vertical mountingtake-01f coupling 40 so. that it can be adjusted about a ert ca xi a centh came of the cq ta nc o number of operating positions. Thus, as isshown diagrammatically'in Figure 5, it can extend along either of thetwo sides of the container adjacent its vertical mounting. Accordinglyin the position shown in full lines in Figure 5 the wringer will deliverclothes away from the container, so that clothes which have been washedin the container can be fed direct to the wringer and delivered thenceto a tray or direct to a rinsing bath. n t e th hand in t oth P i n shoin s in lines in Figure 5, it will deliver clothes towards the containerso that the clothes taken from a rinsing bath can be wrung directly fromthe rinsing bath. In addition the wringer may have further positionsprojecting over the side of the machine.

Preferably the wringer is provided with a pressure release device toenable the rollers to be separated to enable clothes to be withdrawn.

The use of a power-driven wringer rotating in only one direction renderspossible considerable simplification in construction as well as inoperation. In particular, if a safety device is incorporated to switchoff the motor, or separate the rollers, or both, if the hand of the usercomes dangerously close to the rollers, this device need only beprovided on one side of the wringer since the same side is always theentry side.

It will be appreciated that apart from driving a wringer the powertake-off coupling may be employed for driving an ironer for ironingclothes.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A washing machine comprising, a container .for washing liquid, a washingimpeller disposed within said container, a rotatable driving memberadjacent the top of said con-tainer adapted to operate an auxiliaryappliance, a reversible driving motor beneath said container and havingits shaft substantially horizontal, first drive means between said motorand impeller and including afirst unidirectional clutch mounted at oneend of said motor shaft for driving said impeller in one direction onlywhen said motor is rotating in a forward direction, second drive meansbetween said motor and driving member and including a secondunidirectional clutch mounted at the opposite end of said motor shaftconnected to a flexible shaft to rotate said driving member only in onedirection when said motor is rotated in the reverse di rection, saidflexible shaft extending substantially the lengthof said motor towardsaid first unidirectional clutch and thence upwardly along saidcontainer to said driying member, and switch means for reversingrotation of said motor to effect separate operation of said first andsecond clutch means and thus operation of said impeller and drivingmember.

References .Cited in the file .of this patent UN TED $TA E$ PTE T

